The Orlando Magic taught the Charlotte Hornets a painful lesson. When the lights are bright, being cute and flashy doesn’t work. The Magic got dirty, battling with physicality and claiming a dominant win to secure the eight seed. As for the Hornets, they finished the night on a frustrating note, barely able to show off their sharp improvements this season.

The game showed two sides of a coin. The Magic were prepared to respond after falling short to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Hornets’ inexperience caught on, as they were restricted to just 90 points. But that was just one lowlight for Charlotte.

Moments you missed from Hornets-Magic Play-In clash

Orlando Magic fans were unforgiving towards LaMelo Ball

LaMelo Ball has come under fire since receiving a flagrant 2 for tripping Bam Adebayo. The erratic Hornets ace was the team’s most successful offensive player. But his performance included some lapses. Some of his threes could have turned into better shots for the team. But the crowd played a huge hand in creating a tense atmosphere.

Amongst those was a fan seated right below the rim. While Ball took a free throw, he mocked his car crash that took place in February. The fan imitated a car crash, highlighting criticism Ball has received for his reckless driving, among other off-court troubles.

The young Hornets star still sank the free-throw. But it was an example of the hostile environment at the Kia Center.

Miles Bridges almost punches Desmond Bane

There were several Hornets players who had their patience tested by the Magic’s physicality. For one, it worked out successfully. Orlando scored 64 points in the paint and was leading by more than 30 points by halftime. The Hornets couldn’t get anything going. The Magic curbed their ball movement, leading to 16 turnovers and just 17 assists.

On one possession, Desmond Bane stole the ball from Miles Bridges. Both of them tumbled to the ground, with the Magic guard asking for a foul. Bridges appeared infuriated by the degree of contact. He made a fist and struck Bane. It was a light graze, but still violent. The officials adjourned the play to be dangerous, hitting the Hornets forward with a technical foul.

Miles Bridges was far from his best tonight. He scored just 15 points to go with two rebounds. He shot 1/6 from the three-point line. His inefficiency, coupled with the Hornets being outplayed, poured into Bridges’ frustrations. That resulted in a moment where he lost his cool, and had it escalated, he could have been thrown out of the game.

Paolo Banchero leads the way for the Magic

Orlando’s success was dictated by sublime team defense. However, the early jump they got from Paolo Banchero was crucial. After a horrid display against the 76ers, fans doubted his development as the franchise’s cornerstone. Banchero put those calls to rest with a statement performance. The Magic forward added a game-high 25 points and six assists in Orlando’s comfortable win over the Hornets.

Paolo Banchero did everything they expected from a dynamic 6’10” wing. Defensively, he used his strength and tenacity. He logged in two steals and a block. But the biggest highlight was his monstrous dunk on Moussa Diabate. The former ROTY effortlessly took the ball to the cup and completed a mean dunk over the Hornets center.

Banchero’s 16 first-half points set the tone for the Magic, leading to one of the biggest wins this season.

Charles Lee protects himself from a fine

Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee didn’t have much to be pleased about tonight. The Hornets shot just 33.7% from the field. They couldn’t execute their schemes well enough to even compete against the Orlando Magic. However, he did take exception to the calls that went against his team.

Notably, the Hornets were called for five offensive fouls during screens. Reporters asked Lee about the same. Instead of attacking the officials, Lee decided it would be wise to avoid a fine at the end of the season.

“I don’t want to get into it because I don’t want to get fined at all, but I have not seen that very often,” said the Hornets head coach.

The Hornets generate just 3.7 points per game from off-screen plays. So, it wasn’t the key reason behind their shocking meltdown. But you still see an argument. The Magic were immensely physical all night. Lee may have expected officials to have thicker skin if the Hornets tried to do the same.

Those calls interrupted their rhythm. However, it wasn’t the primary reason behind Charlotte’s disappointing night. It was always going to be difficult to win when their electric offense fell flat. Brandon Miller had only 14, Knueppel 11, and Coby White just four points. In contrast, Orlando had two different 15+ point scorers besides Banchero.

A few bad calls only added salt to the wound. But the bleeding started well before. It’s now up to the Hornets to take away from the learnings from this game and return with better readiness next season.